Leeann Zahrt
Background
Leeann escaped from the cornfields of Indiana where she was born and raised to pursue theatre.
She attended The Culver Academies where she discovered her love of Shakespeare. Her first Shakespearian role was Lancelet Gobbo in The Merchant of Venice.
Leeann received an English Speaking Union scholarship to attend school in the United Kingdom and skipped off across the pond, where she attended the University of Exeter.
After receiving her undergraduate degree in Drama, she continued studying physical theatre, mask-making, devised theatre and ensemble work.
Having proven her worth, Leeann won a scholarship to continue her studies at Exeter and received a MFA in Staging Shakespeare.
She shortly thereafter found herself at the New Globe in London, where she spent two AMAZING weeks "treading the boards" and discovering exactly what to do with those giant pillars on stage. There, she studied the numerous details required to stage Shakespearean productions, from costuming to commedia dell'Arte, ultimately culminating in playing the role of Iago in a highly physicalized adaptation of Othello.
Eventually, Leeann returned to the origin of her birth...discovered the corn was still there...and quickly moved to Chicago.
She has performed with many local theatre companies. Her favorite roles inclde:
- Celia at The Artistic Home's "Cut To The Chase" festival,
- The Thief in Lust, Lies & Marriage at Piccolo Theatre
- Sasha in Stockyard Theatre Project's production of Blindside at The Raven, and
- Anna of Cleves in Piccolo Theatre's production of Six Dead Queens and an Inflatable Henry
More!
Leeann embraces the ethic of "work hard, play harder" and can be heard to say of her full (and fulfilling) theatre schedule: Work is love made visible...so, "I have slept not a wink." - Cymbeline
